When you "force" bulbs to bloom out of season, you are using a "technique that imitates the environmental conditions that bulbs encounter outdoors, thereby tricking them into flowering earlier," as Marie Iannotti puts it. So my question to you is: Are you feeling tricky? About.com's Gardening Guide discusses how to force bulbs in detail, in case you'd like some tips for pulling the wool over Mother Nature's eyes.

As for me, I'll leave the trickery to others -- at least until someone finds a way to trick Old Man Winter into staying away. No, in fall I'm much more interested in planting bulb plants in the ground, in anticipation of spring. This, despite the fact that perhaps the last thing on our minds this time of year is a spring flower display. Many of us become too absorbed with fall foliage or Halloween decorations in autumn to think ahead to spring.

But while it's tempting to immerse ourselves in autumn's abundance and leave next year to next year, fall is the time to plant those bulbs that will yield such rich floral color once spring does return. A little foresight goes a long way....

What plants are shining most brightly in your November yard? In cold climates, flowers have now taken a backseat to foliage. For me, the stars for November (which include some holdovers from October) are the following plants -- chosen for their fall foliage, unless otherwise indicated:

• Sweetgum Tree
• Japanese maple tree
• Smoke bush
• Fothergilla
• Virginia sweetspire
• Oakleaf hydrangea
• Korean spice viburnum
• Ninebark
• Maiden grass (plumes)
• Cotoneaster (berries)

How about you? Vote in my poll and let us know what plants are shining most brightly in your own yard right now. Or if there's a plant you'd like to nominate that does not appear on the list, tell us about that plant in the Landscaping Forum.

Let Us Know What Plants Are Currently Delighting You!

There are plants with "white" flowers, and then there are plants with "brilliant-white" flowers -- such as candytuft. In fact, candytuft puts on such a wonderful display that I recommend you go out of your way to grow it somewhere where you'll be able to enjoy its dazzling color to the fullest. That means 3 things that I can think of right away:

1. Grow candytuft where it will be able to hang over a stone wall or over a raised bed wall, for example.
2. Orient your planting of candytuft in such a way that you'll be able to appreciate it easily from a much-frequented vantage point (a window or a patio, for example).
3. Don't grow candytuft under messy trees that will detract from its display.

Regarding this latter point, I speak from personal experience. I have my candytuft growing under a Kwanzan cherry (not directly under, but close by). Unfortunately, however, during the period just after my Kwanzan cherry tree drops its flowers, the visual impact of my candytuft's blossoms isn't as powerful. Why? Because the ground, which otherwise would be dark -- thereby providing a good contrast with the brightness of the candytuft flowers -- is littered with the bright blooms from the Kwanzan. As a result, I feel that my candytuft display is wasted for a few days (until the fallen blossoms from the Kwanzan cherry tree begin to fade).

Read article: Candytuft

I grow 'Arctic Beauty' kiwi vines not for fruit, but for the ornamental value of their variegated leaves. "Variegated" is something of an understatement, however, when it comes to the foliage of kiwi vines. For the leaves can become tri-colored, flashing colors of pink, white and green. Nor is "white" sufficient as a description for the light color in this triad: lots of variegated plants have white in their leaves, but the white in these kiwi vines is more aptly termed "frosty." How appropriate, considering the plant's name (although my guess is that the "Arctic" in the name refers to the plant's hardiness).

The first time you see Arctic Beauty in full color, you'll do a double-take, questioning whether the color is even natural! While we often associate a change in leaf color with the fall foliage season, note that the color display put on by kiwi vines is at its height not in autumn, but in spring. How's that for an interesting reversal?

Read article: Kiwi Vines

"November is when any similarity between gardening zones ceases to be," states Marie Iannotti. "Some of you are just moving into your temperate, gentle garden season and others will have almost no garden to speak of for several months to come." But as About's Gardening Guide points out in this regional gardening calendar for November, even those with "no garden to speak of" right now still have some chores to do. I know it doesn't seem fair, but it's true! No surprise that raking leaves is on the list.

_{Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About.com)}

Why might ant control be a landscaping chore worth looking into? In my article on organic ant control I answer that question. I'll say this much right here, though: it's not so much a "honey do" issue as it is a honeydew issue....

In case you decide that ant control is a landscaping task worth undertaking, my article also suggests some organic ant control measures, including the use of the following plants employed traditionally for organic ant control:

• Lavender
  
• Sage
  
• Catnip
  

Read article: Organic Ant Control

If the maple is "tree of the month" for October in New England, then oak trees own bragging rights for November. The transition is stark, as oak trees rarely compete successfully with maples when it comes to vibrant color. Nonetheless, the fall foliage provided by oak trees in November is welcome, since we all know what's right around the corner: the grays of bare tree limbs as far as the eye can see, punctuated here and there by brown piles of leaves as yet unbagged.

The display put on by the oak trees in early November may not be spectacular, but, without their contribution, leaf-peeping season would end way too abruptly! Learn about the choices you have for oak trees and incorporate them into your fall landscape design.

Read article: Oak Trees

I like my night skies during Halloween season to be lit by an orange harvest moon and animated by darting bats. But gardeners can put spring and summer moons to good use, too. I'm talking about the phenomenon known as "moon gardens."

Moon gardens focus primarily on the use of white flowers. The idea is that, because white shows up well even with minimal light, a landscape planted with white flowers can be enjoyed on moonlit nights. As a bonus, many white flowers are fragrant, meaning you'll be able to enjoy their aromas as you stroll through your moon garden even on moonless nights.

But that's just the beginning: besides white flowers and fragrant plants, I discuss two other components of moon gardens in this article and offer examples from each of the four categories. I also group the examples of white flowers according to time of bloom (early-bloomers, late-bloomers and those that bloom in between). Follow the links provided to access information on the growing requirements for the moon-garden plants covered.

Read article: Moon Gardens

There are a number of different types of driveway gates, and you may be tempted to choose one on the basis of appearance and/or cost, alone. Are you leaning toward wood gates because they cost less than wrought iron gates and/or you prefer the look of wood?

In addition to being attractive, wood gates can be a practical choice, but you should be aware of the challenges that they present. Landscape designer, Paul Corsetti reveals those challenges in this interview I conducted with him regarding the different types of driveway gates.

In some cases, despite the additional cost, wrought iron gates might make the most sense for your yard. But if your budget precludes the possibility of installing wrought iron gates, Paul mentions some other types of metal driveway gates that are available. To help you decide which type of driveway gate would be best for you, click the link below to access the interview.

Read article: Wrought Iron Gates

One reason why I enjoy writing about the subject of landscaping is that it's not a one-size-fits-all proposition. There are all kinds of landscapes, from the humble to the opulent. To enjoy your landscaping, you don't have to spend a lot of money on it.

For example, if you live in a rural setting, you might save money on your landscaping by leaning heavily on the native plants that are already growing on your land. In urban or suburban areas, saving money on landscaping might mean maintaining your yard on your own (rather than hiring someone) and/or waiting to buy plants when they are on sale.

No matter where you live, you can save money on your landscaping by recycling waste creatively. For instance, instead of buying those dinky little bags of compost at the store, start a compost pile to make your own compost, filling it with kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, raked leaves, etc.

Do you have any tips to share? Click the link below and tell us how you save money on your landscaping.

Spread the word: How Do You Save Money Landscaping?